Standard 10 - Patient/Client Assessment & Therapeutic Procedures

Standard 10 - Patient/Client Assessment & Therapeutic Procedures

Respiratory Therapists (RTs) must assess patients/clients to analyze the findings, establish priorities and goals, and implement and monitor responses to therapeutic procedures to deliver safe, competent, ethical patient/client-centred care.

Performance Requirements

RTs:

1. Treat all patients/clients with sensitivity and compassion, considering their unique needs and goals when providing care.
2. Respect the autonomy of clients to make decisions regarding their own care, including their right to refuse or withdraw from treatment at any time.
3. Use knowledge, skill, critical thinking, and professional judgment to:
   1. apply assessment procedures to evaluate patients’/clients’ status;
   2. identify patient/client priorities, establish goals, develop, and implement a care plan of appropriate therapeutic procedures;
   3. safely implement therapeutic procedures; and
   4. monitor patients’/clients’ outcomes to evaluate the effectiveness of therapeutic procedures and adjust interventions accordingly.
4. Implement discharge plans to coordinate required care and promote patient/client safety.
5. Notify, discuss, and document discussions with the appropriate healthcare team member if the RT feels the ordered assessment or therapeutic procedure is inappropriate for that patient/client.
6. Refuse to perform a procedure/task when it is not in the patient/client's best interest, document the refusal and propose necessary alternative actions.
7. Use a collaborative approach to patient care and safety.
8. Institute immediate supportive measures and notify relevant healthcare team members in the event of deterioration of the patient’s/client’s condition.
9. Provide care, including products and services, to patients/clients without discrimination on any basis, and respect the rights and dignity of all individuals.
10. Must refrain from recommending, dispensing, or selling medical gases or equipment for an improper purpose.
11. Must refrain from administering medication for an improper purpose.
12. Utilize diagnostic adjuncts, such as AI-assisted tools, only to support the delivery of care and not as a replacement for clinical judgment.
13. Maintain an awareness of potential biases in diagnostic tools and strive to ensure equitable and accurate assessments for all patient/client populations.

Patient/Client Expected Outcome

Patients/clients can expect that they will be treated with sensitivity and respect, and RTs competently apply assessment and therapeutic procedures to deliver safe, ethical patient/client-centred care.

 Related Standards

• Communication
• Competence/Ongoing Competence
• Consent
• Documentation & Information Management
• Infection Prevention & Control
• Professional Boundaries/Therapeutic & Professional Relationships
• Safety & Risk Management

Related Resources

• College of Respiratory Therapists of Ontario. (2021). Respiratory Therapists Providing Education. Professional Practice Guideline. Available at: https://education.crto.on.ca.
• National Alliance of Respiratory Therapy Regulatory Bodies. (2016). National Competency Framework for the Profession of Respiratory Therapy. Part 1. National Standards for Entry-to-Practice. Available at: https://nartrb.ca/download/ncf-part-i-entry-to-practice-2016.
• National Alliance of Respiratory Therapy Regulatory Bodies. (2024). National Competency Framework. Available at: https://nartrb.ca/national-competency-profileframework.
• Nova Scotia Regulator of Respiratory Therapy. (2021) NSRRT Statement Regarding Racism in Nova Scotia. Available at: https://nsrrt.ca/images/NSRRT_Statement_Regarding_Racism_in_Nova_Scotia.pdf

Glossary

Appropriate refers to in accordance with ethical, legal, technical and/or clinical requirements of professional practice.

Competent refers to “the ability to consistently and effectively apply the requisite knowledge, skills, clinical judgment, and professional behaviour to provide safe, ethical, and effective patient care.”^[1]

Healthcare team refers to “peers, colleagues, and other healthcare professionals (regulated and non-regulated).”^[2]

Patient/client refers to “individual, group, community or population who is the recipient of respiratory therapy services and, where the context requires, includes a substitute decision-maker for the recipient of respiratory therapy services.^[3]

Professional/Professionalism refers to the conduct, behaviours, and attitudes expected of individuals in the healthcare field that are essential for maintaining trust between healthcare providers and patients, ensuring high-quality care, and upholding the integrity of the profession.^[4]

 ^[1] College of Respiratory Therapists of Ontario. (2021). A Commitment to Ethical Practice. Available at:  https://ethics.crto.on.ca/

^[2] College of Respiratory Therapists of Ontario. (2021). A Commitment to Ethical Practice. Available at:  https://ethics.crto.on.ca.

^[3] Adapted from College of Respiratory Therapists of Ontario. (2021). A Commitment to Ethical Practice. Available at: https://ethics.crto.on.ca.

^[4] Open AI. (2025). ChatGPT (May 14 version) [Large language model]. https://chatgpt.com.